The present invention relates to browsing of information on computer networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to automatically downloading, verifying, installing, registering and displaying computer software components from computer networks like the Internet or an intranet.
The Internet is a worldwide network of cooperating computer networks. Connected to the Internet are thousands of individual computers, each with a variety of application programs. From a user""s point of view, access to the Internet and its services typically are accomplished by invoking a network application program (e.g., a network browser). The network application program acts as an interface between the user and the Internet. Network application programs are typically xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d applications that accept commands from the user and obtain Internet data and services by sending requests to xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d applications on other computers at other locations on the Internet.
There are many types of client network applications known in the art including network browsers such as the MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER software by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., the NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR software by Netscape Communications of Mountain View, Calif., and the MOSAIC software by National Center for Super Computer Applications (NCSA) in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. These network browsers send network requests via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Gopher document protocol and others. The network requests are used to exchange data with computer networks such as the Internet.
HTTP is a protocol used to access data on the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is an information service on the Internet containing documents created in the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). HTML allows embedded xe2x80x9clinksxe2x80x9d to point to other data or documents, which may be found on the local computer or other remote Internet host computers. HTML document links may retrieve the data by use of HTTP, FTP, Gopher, or other Internet application protocols. The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is also used to create documents for the World Wide Web. Specifically, VRML is typically used to create three-dimensional graphical documents.
The bulk of the information on World Wide Web is static and non-interactive documents created with HTML. These HTML documents contain text and still images, while a number contain short audio and video clips. As the content of information stored on the Internet and World Wide Web evolves, it is desirable to insert dynamic multimedia components (e.g., animated buttons, scrolling banners, blinking lights, bouncing or spinning objects, high quality music, and full motion video) and interactive multimedia components (e.g., a computer game sent over the Internet and played against one or more other users, or a remote computer) into a HTML document, to make the information more attractive and interesting to a user browsing the HTML document.
Network browsers currently support a number of dynamic and pseudo-interactive multimedia components directly. However, there are a number of problems currently associated with using dynamic and pseudo-interactive multimedia components in a HTML document. These browsers may still require a user to initiate any dynamic multimedia interaction. For example, a user typically must request the dynamic multimedia interaction by selecting a remote link with input from a keyboard, electronic mouse or other pointing device. Thus, a user cannot be provided dynamic multimedia automatically without first asking for it. This again prevents a user from fully enjoying dynamic multimedia components.
Since the World Wide Web and the Internet currently support a wide variety of information in multiple formats, a typical network browser cannot directly display every possible dynamic multimedia format it encounters. When a network browser encounters a multimedia component in a HTML document the browser is unable to handle directly (e.g., color images with a large number of colors, high quality audio, full motion video), it is common in the art for the network browser to call a helper application (e.g., a help wizard) that can handle the multimedia component. The multimedia component is handed off to the helper application for processing (e.g., playing the audio, full motion video). The constantly changing nature of information on the Internet and World Wide Web requires that the network browser be updated constantly with access to new helper applications. This is a time consuming process for the network browser creators, and prevents a user from fully enjoying new multimedia components that might be encountered.
Another frequent problem is that a HTML document may contain a non-standard HTML tag that describes a new dynamic multimedia component. Non-standard HTML tags cause users to constantly incorporate new updates into their browsers to take advantage of the dynamic multimedia described by the non-standard HTML tags. This is also a slow and time consuming process and may require an additional helper application as was described above.
Most network browsers also do not currently support true interactive multimedia. Most Internet and World Wide Web sites require a user to fill out and submit an electronic form and rely on a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) application, to invoke a remote software application to provide pseudo-interactive multimedia content (e.g., database access, search engines, protocol gateways). The CGI provides a mechanism for information retrieval, processing and formatting within a HTML document. CGI applications are typically written in a programming language or scripting language other than HTML (e.g., C, C++, Perl, UNIX shell language) and are executed on a remote computer. This remote execution is typically a slow and cumbersome interface process that also requires input (e.g., a mouse click) from a user.
In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the problems of handling dynamic and interactive multimedia in a HTML document are overcome. A method and system for automatically locating, downloading, verifying, registering, installing and displaying a software component from a remote computer is provided.
The method is used to automatically locate, download, verify, install, register, and display a computer software component obtained from a remote computer. The system includes a software component download module for locating computer software components with uniform resource locators (URLs), registering computer software components in a registry database, and displaying computer software components on a local computer. The software component download module also manages other system modules. A data download module downloads computer software components in an asynchronous manner from one or more remote computers. A code verification module verifies that the downloaded computer software components are safe to install on a local computer by verifying a digital signature and digital certificate sent with the downloaded computer software component. A code installation module installs the verified computer software components on the local computer. The software components are not limited to the display of multimedia information. Almost any software component can be downloaded, verified, and installed via the described method and system, whether it is an ACTIVEX Control, a NETSCAPE ONE Plugin, a JAVA class library, a multimedia player, a document viewer, or a custom control or applet for inclusion on a digital form or a digital document.
The method and system are used by applications (e.g., network browsers, network servers) to automatically download and install software components from code depositories on computer networks (e.g., the Internet, or local corporate intranets) to provide dynamic and truly interactive multimedia to a user. The method and system allow any software component, including dynamic and interactive multimedia components, to be described with a standard tag (e.g., the  less than OBJECT greater than  tag) in a HTML document.
When the  less than OBJECT greater than  tag is encountered in a HTML document during browsing with a network browser, the multimedia software components referenced by the  less than OBJECT greater than  tag are automatically downloaded and displayed directly on a user""s computer. A HTML document can now provide dynamic multimedia content and true interactivity, in a uniform, portable, architecture-neutral, robust manner using the method and system of the present invention.
Network browsers will no longer require frequent updates or help applications to provide dynamic and truly interactive multimedia to a user. A user browsing an HTML document can now be provided with dynamic and interactive multimedia automatically and take full advantage of the variety of multimedia provided the World Wide Web, the Internet, and other computer networks such as intranets.
In addition, the method and system can also be used by applications or devices which are not network browsers (e.g. set top boxes for television network computers, satellite receiver boxes, digital personal assistants and wireless personal communications devices) to automatically locate, download, verify, install, register and display virtually any type of computer software component on any remote computer connected to a computer network like the Internet or an intranet. Any application which desires information from a remote computer can use the method and system of the present invention by sending the proper parameter information to the appropriate interfaces provided by the method and system.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.